ANGELS : Abbott Enjoys Showing He’s a Triple Threat Against the Giants

Had Angel General Manager Mike Port known Jim Abbott played first base in high school, maybe Port wouldn’t have made the Dave Parker trade.

Not with Abbott showing the power he did in the second inning of Monday’s game. The Angel left-hander lined a triple into the gap in right-center field between San Francisco Giant outfielders Willie McGee and Kevin Bass.

Abbott, who was born without a right hand, is one for three with a sacrifice in four spring training plate appearances since 1989.

“Well, we had a Size-54 jersey we’d have hated to waste,” Port said. “So I guess we’d have made the Parker deal anyway.”

Abbott enjoys taking his cuts, but he has no desire to take Parker’s job as the Angels’ designated hitter.

“It was fun, although I was a little winded by the time I got to third,” he said. “I’ve always taken pride in my swing.”

Abbott drove in the Angels’ second run and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 5,848 at Scottsdale Stadium.

He also had reason to be proud of his pitching. In four innings he gave up three hits, including a two-run homer by Kevin Mitchell, and was in the clubhouse when the Giants rallied for four runs in the eighth and defeated the Angels, 6-3. Except for the 0-and-2 slider to Mitchell, Abbott was satisfied.

“This spring, I’m just trying to locate my fastball, be more consistent with my other pitches and get my hard slider back,” he said. “My curveball is getting better, and I’m always trying to improve my changeup. My slider is my second pitch. It’s something I have to have if I’m going to be effective.”

Pitcher Scott Lewis worked with runners on base for the first time Monday, and he learned a rough lesson.

Lewis, the prime candidate to replace Bert Blyleven in the starting rotation, took a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning. Successive singles by Greg Litton--off Lewis’ left leg--Willie McGee and Will Clark brought the Giants even and Mitchell’s sacrifice fly gave them a 4-3 lead.

Matt Williams was walked intentionally to bring up Kevin Bass, who lined the ball up the middle. Lewis leaped to spear it and threw to second, where Luis Sojo was taken out of the double play. Lewis was relieved by Scott Bailes, who gave up a two-run double to Robbie Thompson.

“I gave up three first-pitch hits on fastballs, and I didn’t throw any off-speed stuff,” Lewis said. “They made adjustments, and I had to make adjustments and I didn’t. It was like a chess game.”

Blyleven’s three-inning, one-run outing in Monday’s B game gave him more optimism than his previous start, but the right-hander said he might stay in Mesa for extra work when the team leaves for Palm Springs on Thursday.

Blyleven, 39, had surgery on his pitching shoulder in October and is unlikely to be ready by opening day. He threw about 40 pitches to the Padres on Monday--20 fewer than his three-inning total last Thursday--and experienced weakness but no pain.

“I might be better off staying down here and throwing,” Blyleven said. “My main objective is to get innings and pitches, however I do it. I want to get to 100 quality pitches. I’m not real pleased with my velocity, not pleased with my curveball. That’ll hopefully come with strength in the shoulder.”

Parker was one for five with two RBIs in the B game, an 8-7 Angel victory. He will be the DH in today’s A game against the Seattle Mariners in Tempe.